Wagon end-gate rod.



No. 84 ,004.. PATENTED MAR. '26, 1907.

B. IBREAUMJ,

WAGON END GATE ROD. APPLIOATION FILED AUG.8. 1906.

amount "rs: NORRIS PETERS c0. WASILINGTON,

PATENT OFFICE.

BERTINIUS BREAUM,

OF TAYLOR, NORTH DAKOTA.

WAGON END-GATE ROD.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented March 26, 1907.

Application filed August 8,1906. Serial No. 329,731.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERTINIUS BREAUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Taylor, in the county of Stark and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon End-Gate Rods, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to end-gate rods for wagons and other vehicles, one of the objects being to provide a device of the character described that shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, durable, and effective and easy of o oration.

A furt 1er object of my invention is to provide a removable and adjustable end-gate rod which shall have the effect of securely holding the end-gate in position and which can easily be removed or put in place and which will also admit of the widening of the wagon-box.

Further objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the structural features by means of which they are attained, will be made clear by an examination of the specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in Which the same reference-numerals indicate corresponding portions throughout, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the end of a wagon, showing the end-gate in position and also showing my device; and Fig. 2 is a top plan, partly in section, showing the application of my device.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the" sides, and 2 the floor, of a wagon-box of the ordinary construction, and 3 an end-gate slidably mounted in position between the two sides 1, the end being held in position by means of the vertical pieces 4. Mounted on the outer side of one of the sides 1 is a casing or housing 5, secured to the side of the box by means of screws 6 or by any other well-known means, and slidablymounted in the casing is a thumb-latch 7, the end passing through the casing being rounded, as at 8, and the other end flattened, as at 9, and through the flattened end is a rectangular opening 10. Arranged within the casing and having the rounded end of the latch 9 passing therethrough is a coil or helical spring 11, having one end bearing against the end wall of the casing and the other end bearing against a lug or enlargement 12, formed integral with the rounded end of said latch. Thus the latch is slidably held within the casing by the tension of said spring. Each sideboard of the wagon-box is provided with an opening 13, through which passes the end-gate rod 14, provided with a head 15 to contact the outer edge of the box and limit its movement and also to afford means for grasping the end of the rod by the hand to remove it. The other end of said rod 14 is provided with teeth or serrations 16, adapted to engage the slanting wall 17 at one end of the rectangular slot or opening 10 in the thumb-latch. Each end wall of the housing 5 is provided with an opening 18 of a size corresponding to the circumference of the rounded portion of said thumb-latch, and in these openings the rounded portion of said thumb-latch is slidably mounted, the flattened portion being enlarged, thus leaving shoulders, as shown at 19, which contact the outside of the end of the casing, as shown, and thereby limit the movement of the thumblatch 7. This thumb-latch is provided. with an integral lug 20 at its outer end for ease and convenience in operating same.

It will be observed that the openings 13 through the side-boards of the wagon-box are so arranged to register with the outer edge of the end-board 3 when same is in operative position so that when the end-gate rod or bar 14 is passed through said openings the outer edge or back of said end-board rests flush aga nst sa d rod, wh ch prevents the end-board from bulging or bending when much pressure is brought to bear thereon by the contents of the wagon-box.

My invention is especially adapted for use on ore-wagons and wagons adapted for use in hauling heavy material.

In operation the end-gate rod is pushed through the openings 13, so that the inner or notched end thereof passes through thereotangular open ng 10 in the thumb-latch, where the teeth contact with the inclined wall heretofore mentioned, which operates as a ratchet and holds the end-gate rod securely in position. When it 's desired to release the rod, the latch is pulled out by means of the thumb-piece or lug 20, thus bringing said inclined wall out of contact with the teeth, whereupon the rod may be readily removed by hand. When the rod is in position, as shown in Fig. 2, the helical spring 11, bearing against the lug or enlargement 12, holds the inclined wall 17 securely'in contact with the teeth 16, as will be obvious.

It is thought from the 'foregoing that the construction, operation, and advantages of my invention will be apparent, and further description is not deemed necessary.

Having thus described my said invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An end-gate for vehicles comprising a slidably-mounted gate, a rod adapted to contact the rear side of the gate, one end of the rod being provided with a knob limiting its movement, and the other end having teeth or serrations, and a springactnated slidablymounted thumb-latch adapted to engage the teeth and yieldingly hold the rod in place.

2. An end-gate rod for vehicles comprising a rod having one end provided with a knob and the other end with teeth or serrations, a thumb-latch adapted to engage the teeth or serrations on the rod, and a spring controlling the thumb-latch.

3. An end-gate rod for vehicles comprising a rod having teeth or serrations on one of its ends, a thumb-latch having an opening through which said serrated end ol the rod. adapted to pass, a casing hafing the thumblatch slidably mounted. therein, and a spring within the casing adapted to hold the latch yieldingly in engagement with the serrated. end of the rod.

4. An end-gate rod 'for vehicles comprising a rod having a knob 'lOllllGd integral with one end and the other end provided with teeth or serrations, a thrnnb-lateh having an opening through which the serrated end of the rod. passes, the teeth or serrations engaging one wall oi said opening, a suitable casing for the other end of said thumb-latch which is slidably mounted therein, and, a spring within the casing adapted to control the thumblatch and hold it yieldingly in contact with said teeth or serrations.

In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my signature in presence oil two witnesses.

BERTINIUS BREAUM. W'itnesses AsLAk O. Nassn'r, T. H. MYRAN. 

